Nova Scotia marks 33 years since Westray Mine disaster

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

It’s been 33 years since the Westray Mine disaster rocked Nova Scotia’s Pictou County.

The takeaway from both unions and politicians is that it’s a time to remember the fight continues to ensure workers are protected.

At 5:18 a.m. on May 9, 1992, an explosion of methane gas and coal dust sent a fireball through the mine, killing all 26 workers inside.

In the days that followed, the small community was full to the brim of miners from neighbouring provinces, volunteers and media. The rescues started immediately, but it wasn’t until several days later that they uncovered the bodies of 11 miners.

It continued with four more in the time after.

“But after six days, the company declared no hope, rescuers were withdrawn for their own safety and the bodies of 11 sons, fathers and husbands were abandoned in the deeps,” the Nova Scotia Museum said on its website. “The mine was sealed and will not reopen.”

Five years later, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice concluded the disaster was the result of incompetence, mismanagement, bureaucratic bungling, deceit, ruthlessness and “cynical indifference.”

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“Today, we honour the 26 lives lost at the Westray Mine in Plymouth,” wrote Premier Tim Houston in a social media post. “Their memory continues to shine bright.”

The disaster eventually led to the 2004 Westray Amendments, which updated the Criminal Code of Canada to allow for criminal negligence charges to be laid in workplace incidents.

But in the 21 years since that law was brought in, the United Steelworkers Union (USW) says enforcement hasn’t been good enough.

“Deterrence only works when the consequences are real,” said Marty Warren, national director for USW. “The laws exist, but without consistent enforcement, they fail to drive the change we need. To shift behaviour and save lives, we need stronger, swifter enforcement of the laws already on the books.”

Nova Scotia opposition NDP leader Claudia Chender says every worker deserves to come home at the end of their shift.

“The anniversary of Westray—one of the worst workplace disasters in Canadian history—is a powerful time to reflect on why we fight for workers and their families,” Chender wrote in a post on X.

Historical photo from The Nova Scotia Museum.